UPSC Civil Services IAS Mains Admit Card 2026 Released, Exam From August 21

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the admit card for the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 under Advertisement No. 05/2026. Candidates who qualified through the Civil Services Preliminary Examination can now download their e-Admit Cards for the upcoming Mains examination.

Preparing to appear in the UPSC IAS Mains 2026? The examination is scheduled to be held from August 21 to August 30, 2026, and candidates should download their admit cards before reporting to the examination centre. The Civil Services recruitment covers 933 vacancies, while another 80 vacancies are listed for the Indian Forest Service, taking the combined vacancy figure to 1,013.

UPSC issued the Civil Services IAS Mains Admit Card on August 14, 2026. Candidates can access it through the Commission’s e-Admit Card facility using their Registration ID or Roll Number and other required credentials. The admit card contains important information including the examination venue, dates, timings and candidate instructions.

UPSC IAS Mains Admit Card 2026 Overview

UPSC Civil Services IAS Mains Admit Card 2026

The e-Admit Card has been released for candidates eligible to participate in the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026. Candidates should download it well before their scheduled papers rather than waiting until the examination date.

After downloading the admit card, applicants should carefully check their name, roll number, examination centre, examination dates and timings. They should also read all instructions concerning entry to the examination venue and the documents permitted or required inside the centre.

Candidates should take a clear printout of the e-Admit Card and preserve it throughout the examination period. Any discrepancy in the information should be addressed in accordance with the instructions issued by UPSC.

UPSC IAS Mains Exam Date 2026

The Civil Services (Main) Examination is scheduled between August 21 and August 30, 2026. Candidates appearing in the examination should check their individual timetable because the Mains examination consists of multiple papers conducted according to the schedule prescribed by UPSC.

The examination follows the Civil Services Preliminary Examination held on May 24, 2026. The preliminary result was declared on June 15, allowing successful candidates to move to the next stage of the selection process.

Candidates should rely on their e-Admit Card and the official UPSC timetable to confirm the date and session of each paper.

UPSC Civil Services 2026 Important Dates

Online applications for the Civil Services and Indian Forest Service Examination 2026 began on February 4. Following an extension, the last date for online applications and fee payment was February 27, 2026.

The Preliminary Examination was conducted on May 24 after admit cards were made available on May 15. The preliminary result was subsequently declared on June 15, 2026.

The Civil Services Mains application process began on June 19 and continued until June 29, 2026. According to the provided schedule, the IFS Mains application process was conducted separately from July 13 to July 22.

UPSC released the IAS Mains Admit Card on August 14, with the Civil Services Main Examination scheduled from August 21 to August 30, 2026.

UPSC Civil Services and IFS Vacancy Details

The recruitment information lists a combined total of 1,013 vacancies under the Civil Services and Indian Forest Service examinations.

The final allocation of candidates to different Civil Services is governed by examination performance, preferences, vacancies and other applicable UPSC and government rules.

UPSC Civil Services IAS Eligibility Criteria

For the Civil Services Examination, candidates are required to possess a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university or an equivalent qualification accepted under UPSC rules.

Graduates from different academic backgrounds can therefore compete for the Civil Services Examination, provided they satisfy all other conditions concerning age, nationality, number of attempts and eligibility prescribed by the Commission.

Candidates progressing through the examination must continue to satisfy these requirements during subsequent stages, including document verification associated with the recruitment process.

UPSC Indian Forest Service Eligibility Criteria

Educational requirements for the Indian Forest Service differ from the general Civil Services graduate qualification. Candidates are required to possess a Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the prescribed subjects or an eligible degree in the relevant fields.

The listed subjects include Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics and Zoology. Candidates holding qualifications in Agriculture and other eligible disciplines specified by UPSC may also qualify.

Applicants should refer to the detailed examination notification for the complete IFS educational requirements.

UPSC Civil Services Age Limit 2026

Candidates must be at least 21 years old and should generally not have attained the age of 32 years as of August 1, 2026.

According to the provided age criteria, candidates should have been born not earlier than August 2, 1994, and not later than August 1, 2005.

Relaxation in the upper age limit is available to eligible categories according to the rules prescribed by the Government of India and UPSC.

UPSC Civil Services Application Fee

The application fee was ₹100 for General, OBC and EWS candidates. SC, ST and PwD candidates were exempted from payment of the application fee. Female candidates were also exempted from paying the fee.

Payment for candidates required to pay the examination fee could be completed through the supported payment methods available during the application process.

UPSC Civil Services Selection Process

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is conducted through three major stages. Candidates first have to qualify in the Preliminary Examination before becoming eligible for the Civil Services Main Examination.

The Mains examination is the detailed written stage of the recruitment process. Candidates who meet the prescribed qualifying standards in the Mains examination can subsequently be called for the Personality Test/Interview.

Final selection is based on the applicable marks and rules prescribed by UPSC, followed by allocation to services according to rank, preferences, vacancies and other applicable conditions.

How to Download UPSC Civil Services IAS Mains Admit Card 2026

• Visit the official UPSC website.
• Open the What’s New or Examinations section.
• Find the e-Admit Card notice for the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026.
• Click on the relevant e-Admit Card link.
• Choose the available login method.
• Enter your Registration ID or Roll Number and Date of Birth as required.
• Submit the information to open the e-Admit Card.
• Check the examination centre, dates, timings, roll number and candidate details.
• Download and save the UPSC IAS Mains Admit Card 2026.
• Take a clear printout and carry it to the examination centre according to UPSC instructions.

Candidates appearing in the Civil Services Mains should download their e-Admit Cards immediately and carefully review the examination timetable and centre instructions ahead of August 21. As the Mains examination involves multiple papers, candidates should keep the admit card safely throughout the examination period.

For any changes in the timetable, examination instructions or subsequent Interview-related updates, candidates should regularly check the official UPSC website and rely on notices issued by the Commission.